The Raven on Bird Street
by Falke-ness
Summary: His little Raven taught him how to dance. When it came to age, she was a child compared to him. Yet she taught him the meaning of everything: of life, hope, and above all, love. A story in which Raven gets a second chance at a childhood. RaeRob
1. Fatum

This is my first attempt at an ongoing Teen Titans story, and WILL BE A RAVEN x ROBIN fic. I hope you enjoy.

The story starts out on the Birthmark episode.

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**Prologue: Fatum**

With their mental bond, Raven knew Robin better than anyone: his name, his feelings—his thoughts. It frustrated him because he knew so little of her. He felt as if he were walking down the street naked. It was his opinion that at the very least, the rest of the population in that mental landscape could have the decency to reciprocate the gesture. Never mind that the remaining population consisted of one— Raven. Not that he couldn't shield his mind, and didn't trust her. But when Robin noticed the circles beneath her eyes that mirrored the ones he bore beneath his domino mask, he had demanded that she teach him that mental construction. She had taught him how to build that mental barrier, brick by brick. But if Robin's shield was of stone, it was an old, cracked, and penetrable wall; whereas, Raven's mental shield was a 12 inch thick wall of pure diamond—radiant, strong, and inescapable. Needless to say, Robin's thoughts still leaked through. While not perfect, it did prevent him from barraging her with an onslaught of thoughts. Even so, Robin guessed that she would somehow know what he was thinking regardless.

It was the night of her birthday when she lost her temper that his frustration similarly peaked. He had confronted her in hopes of opening her mind to the idea of sharing each others' thoughts, worried that she would cast him aside in her time of need. She cautioned him of the dangers within her mind, the darkness, and the solitary secrets. She didn't tell him no, didn't tell him to go away, and reminded him that he above everyone else knew her mind, yet even so, Robin knew that his trust had been rejected. Yet he held no spite, no grudge, only remorse that she would isolate herself thus. And so it was a relief that night, despite the havoc of that time, when she showed her trust by telling him the secret that had lay with her since her birth. It was not a sharing of a life story, but it was enough.

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That night had been one of fighting, of confusion, and defeat, for no one doubted that they had somehow lost. There were no casualties, no kidnappings, and no serious injuries, yet each knew that something was different now. Something was wrong—and something inside them told them that someone was already lost. They celebrated their Raven's birth with smiles on their faces, each genuinely glad for her presence and for her friendship. They shared many laughs that night, many at the expense of Beast Boy. They celebrated as if they would never see her again.

Raven received many gifts: clothing from Starfire, a tool kit from Cyborg, some video game involving monkeys from Beast Boy (Raven suspected that the gift was actually for himself), but it was the Boy Wonder's gift that produced a smile on her face that night. A curl at the edge of her lips that said, 'I know what you're trying to say.' The figures on the music box were carved in glass: a bird bath, with Robin's dancing around it as the music played. Her only comment was, "Tweet, tweet?" He flushed, but smiled.

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Slade knew that had he all his senses, all his feelings, he might have gagged on the overpowering stench of brimstone; he might have sweat in the sweltering heat of the fiery caverns out of dread and fear. But he felt nothing, nothing but this ever present darkness lingering where his heart should have been. He knew that this deal was irrational, to gain back what he had lost, he would sacrifice all of humanity so that he alone could walk the earth, unharmed, unchallenged- unstoppable. It was irrational, it was insane, and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew it. What was there to live for if everything else was at its end? But he didn't care: he had no body, he had no rationality, no mortality. He longed to be human again. And nothing in the world would stop him.

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She floated within the room, cross-legged and sitting on nothing but air, eyes closed from the blue runes that lit the walls. She was still, silent save the harsh breathing that she attempted to control, feeling as if she had physically breathed the fumes of the underworld rather than just mentally. Father, she had called him, pleaded with him: "Father, I don't want to" as if she were a child and it would make a difference. As if they were a normal family. Her eyes opened, staring blankly at the walls, brooding.

Were her relationship with her father a normal one, or perhaps even something resembling affection, she knew that she would do anything: anything for her family, just as she would do anything for her friends. Her friends had hope; they believed in her, believed that something could be done, and that they could protect her. Raven thought it ironic that still, she would do the bidding of her father. She glanced at her hand, clenched since Trigon had contacted her. Tentatively—cautiously, as the fear and doubt crept through her heart, she opened her palm, and looked. There, in the well of her hand lay the penny that Beast Boy had given her.

'Heads' she told herself. She breathed deeply, flipped it once and caught it: heads. Once more, she tossed it, cradling it in a makeshift cup: heads. She took a deep breath, and stepped outside of the room. Raven would do anything for her father. She clutched the coin tightly in her hands. She had no choice.

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Robin clutched her hands in his, trying to convey his belief in her, his desperation, and his fear. He let all barriers drop, hoping—praying that it would change her mind. She pulled her hands away, and suddenly in the back of his mind, he could feel their connection click into place. He could feel that ever present wall draw back and reveal her.

"And as my friends, you have to let me go."

She had said, and for once, since the establishment of their connection, he wished that she had not exposed herself to him. He was bitter that she would do so now when nothing else could be done.

He felt her resolution as she formed a shield separating herself from the others. He felt the sorrow as they desperately attacked the shadow wall, he felt the remorse she felt in response to the bitter feeling that resided within his own heart.

This mental language was foreign to Robin. Yet at the same time, it was something he instinctively knew and understood. There were no words, no images, just real and almost tangible concepts. If asked to describe it, Robin would simply say, "understanding," because in this language nothing could be misunderstood. There were only thoughts and emotions and knowledge. In that brief moment where she had opened her mind, and before the portal engulfed her, he had understood her better than he had ever done before. He felt her despair, knew how futile everything was, felt the overwhelming love she held for her family, and beneath the fear and the pain, he could feel her hope.

Robin watched that coin fall with dread, as if he were watching her body plummet towards the ground and he a helpless spectator—again. And when that coin struck the stone floor, with the sound of its clattering muted amongst the roar of evil, he felt in the back of his mind, something important, something essential, wink out of existence. He didn't need to see the coin to know which side it had landed on. "Heads," he bitterly whispered as he braced himself for the fight to come.


	2. Vitium

**Chapter One: Vitium**

Robin picked his way through the desolate landscape- the ruins of a city once filled with life, eyes avoiding the horrified gazes of the innocents forever frozen in their greatest moments of terror. He knew he should be planning; he should be strategizing how to defeat the demon that had usurped the earth. He should be fighting, or mourning, but all he could feel and think of was the guilt.

"I could have done something. I should have found a way." As if it were his fault that he could not find a way to deceive fate and destiny, for not being able to manipulate the greater forces in the world into changing the paths they walked. He had felt her hope even as she succumbed to the inevitable: her faith in him. And he had failed.

Failure. His teeth clenched at the thought. No. It wasn't his fault. Why should he blame himself? He could feel the rage flood through his being, consuming. It was her fault. Not his. Never his. She let herself go. She walked away from him. She forced him to live in a world that had no meaning—there was no sign of life. Did she expect him to be happy, living in a literal hell on earth? Why should he blame himself when it was she who didn't trust him?

Trust. And all the anger washed away in the wave of disgust. No. It wasn't her fault. It was never her fault. It wasn't anyone's but Trigon's. He KNEW that, knew it like he knew her mind. But he'd never felt so helpless in his entire life, not since… and there it was again, the guilt. He felt as if he were in an endless cycle, unable to allow reason to settle his thoughts, unable to think that there was no point in placing blame because she was gone. He saw it, he felt it. He didn't want to acknowledge it.

"Raven…" he murmured, knowing that no one could hear him, yet hoping—praying that somehow, someway, maybe his voice would reach her ears in another place, in another time—in another world.

As if in answer, a bird took flight. He recognized it as her namesake. He followed. It wasn't possible. She was gone, and yet this creature… he could feel in the back of his mind, the smallest flicker of recognition.

The raven weaved through the rubble, and he followed in desperation, calling out her name even as it soared further away. He followed her to a building, scaling its walls with no thought of the height, only that he had to catch her, had to catch up, had to get to her. But when he reached the top, he found himself alone, and the raven was gone as if it had been an illusion all along.

He slumped in defeat, sinking onto his knees. She'd flown away. Again. Like some cruel trick. "Raven…" he murmured, escalating into a shout of surprise as the ground beneath his feet crumbled and he fell, arms clutching at air, desperately reaching, cape billowing about him like a pair of useless wings.

He stopped. Jerking to a halt in midair as Cyborg clutched his arm. He was heaved back onto stable ground, and was met by an embrace and Starfire's tender voice. He stiffened.

"Robin, you are unharmed."

He bit back the nasty response that filled his mind at her comment. It felt like a part of him was missing. Her presence in his mind had become something so constant that oftentimes he forgot that it wasn't natural, it hadn't always been there. And in its absence, there was a gaping hole. It hurt.

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Beast Boy flew, hawk wings beating through the air, head craning forward to study the figure he was desperately following. He called out into the air, expecting a reply, but still the raven ignored him and continued to out fly him, hovering just beyond his reach. It led him to the top of a building, before, with a burst of speed, the distance grew between them and it seemed to vanish in the distance. He hovered above the building where his remaining friends gathered, hesitating with narrowed eyes searching for any sign, any movement that hinted at Raven. There was none. He glided to the floor, and approached, hearing the last of Robin's words, "something led me here."

"It led all of us here- almost all of us." The changeling spoke in a steady voice to his surprise. He didn't think it were possible what with all the turbulent emotions churning inside of him.

"But how is this possible? How have we survived?" Starfire's voice spoke up, destroying the solemn silence that kept his mind screaming. And he wanted to howl and rage. Didn't she know? Didn't they KNOW? But he forced himself to calm down. And explained.

"It was Raven. Raven protected us." She protected us, and sacrificed herself. She was gone. Just like Terra.

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Robin could feel the determination overtake him again. He could feel her hope again. She had believed that they could win, that they would live. And he wasn't going to fail that faith again. They would do it- together.

And as their hands met, he could feel a jolt run through him, tossing him back. He could feel her power streaming through him, empowering him. But more importantly, he could feel in that part of his mind where their connection was, flicker in the familiar presence of her power, and distantly, he could almost feel something strain, some tendril of her power stretching and searching. Somehow, that gaping absence in his mind didn't seem so hollow anymore.

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"Raven…" she could hear a voice calling her, urging her to wake up. Distantly, within her mind, she could almost feel a caress. It felt as if something intangible was shouting in jubilation, and she could almost detect a sense of accomplishment as if something important had been found. But that didn't seem right. Had she lost something? Had she found something? She couldn't remember. She searched her mind, looking for something familiar. And there it was, that voice again, murmuring, "Raven…" It was familiar, both name and voice.

"Raven." She spoke aloud, marveling at the sound of her own voice. "Raven," she said again. Was that her name? She decided it must be. With that conclusion, she forced herself to open her eyes.

"Where am I?" She asked out loud, expecting an answer and not receiving one. Dark shadows danced about the room that appeared to be the ruins of a church. A sense of panic filled her as she realized that she didn't know where she was.

"Hello?"

No answer.

"Is someone there? She asked, raising her voice. Her only answer was the echo of her own question, almost like a taunt.

"Anyone?" She screamed.

"Help!" The panic clenched about her chest, she could feel the tears spilling in a trail down her cheeks.

"Please! I'm lost!" She tried again. Then, a final simper before the child began to sob. "I'm lost…"

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"Of all the places to crash and burn, why'd it have to be here?" Beast Boy had spoken dejectedly.

Cyborg couldn't help but agree.

They had attempted to attack that demon that claimed to be her father. They had tried and tried, and they failed miserably, tossed back to the place that was the greatest reminder of their greatest failure.

He could feel the frustration overwhelm him: the anger at his litter girl for having left him, the anger at Trigon for leaving her no choice, and most of all, the anger at himself for not having been able to do anything to protect her. "And go where? The whole world is toast. And the only person who'd know what to do is…. We could really use her help right now."

He couldn't bring himself to say her name. His little sister's name, lest he lose what little confidence he had left and let the grief consume him. They needed her here; he needed her here… but she wasn't, just as he wasn't there when she needed him the most. For the first time in a very long time, he felt incomplete. And he hated himself for it.

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He had always dreamed of the day that they would work together. He had planned for it for years, had desired it above all else.

And he was reminded why he had coveted the notion so much. They were the perfect team. Nothing could stop them. Not even the demons of hell.

They were the perfect combination, mirroring each other as if they had train together their whole lives. One after another the creatures of hellfire fell. He had dreamed of this day, but it wasn't enough. He was desperate, weak, and vulnerable.

"I'm here to save Raven, not pity you."

And then Slade knew, knew that somewhere along the way, somewhere amongst all his planning and scheming, his Robin had flown from the nest. He relished in the fulfillment of his greatest dream, knowing that not only would it be the first time, it would be the last.

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Starfire allowed the rage to consume her, manifesting itself into flames of starbolt. One after another she launched them, screaming in fury and frustration at her opponent. She stopped only when she thought that she was victorious.

The smoke settled. She looked about. Nothing. A sigh escaped her.

"Realize, with you gone, Robin will be _all_ mine." The purr was breathed into her ear.

She almost shivered before the connotation reached her. Her hands and eyes began to glow green.

Her counterpart, the darkness of her soul only laughed as she dodged the bolts thrown at her, reveling in the emotions of her source.

"Are you worried about your Robin? Should I tell Trigon where he is?"

"You will do No Such Thing." Starfire replied, even as the worry overtook her. Robin had gone to save Raven. And with yet another burst of fury, she attacked.

It was futile. No matter how hard she tried, her dark copy overpowered her.

"I do not understand how you have come to be." Starfire said, panting as she picked herself up from the ground she had been brutally thrown into.

"Do you not?" The dark Starfire laughed, "_Robin_ has gone to save _Raven_."

'And why should he not go save friend Raven?' Starfire told herself. Yet despite that, she could not dispel the lingering of discontent, even as she wondered what that feeling of unease meant.

Her darkness only smirked, attacking with the power of her source's jealousy and doubt. She attacked with a fury that overpowered her source's own. The darkness that fueled and empowered her was a force that Starfire could not yet confront and acknowledge. And that made it unstoppable.

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And in a church, much like the one in which he had received a precious secret, Robin chased a little white Raven.

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Ah. Sorry about the drama/angst. But I promise that after this, I'll stop just summarizing the episodes. We're finally getting somewhere!

Off to bed. Hope you enjoyed.


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